HANDS AND FEET: BEING THE CHURCH DURING A PANDEMIC
In the past year the virus has claimed the lives of over 200,000 Brazilians. In the news there is plenty of talk about politics, the president, and his cabinet. There have been medical crises, hospitals overrun with patients, lack of sedation medication, oxygen shortages, and unnecessary deaths due to these shortages. We have lived with a months-long mask mandate, temperature checks before entering stores, and using hand sanitizer at stations set up everywhere.
Change comes in an instant. One year ago, we had dear friends from a supporting church come down to Brazil for an extended weekend. They came to encourage us and to see how their church may partner more deeply with Brazilian churches. In a mere four-day span, the America that they had left was not the same America to which they returned. In just four days, news of a new virus, and an incoming pandemic, swept panic across the country. Store shelves were being emptied as people were preparing to hunker down until they knew more about what was going on.
Brazil was one of the last countries to get the virus. We watched the news of it spreading across the globe and based on what we had seen we knew we had about two weeks before we were going to be hit. Brandon and I as good Americans decided that we needed to go to the store and stock up before it hit here. And so, we did. We got everything our family would need in case we could not leave the house again for 2-3 weeks. As we were checking out our items, our cashier was surprised at how much we had and when we told her a pandemic was coming, she just smiled at us. Brandon and I talked on the way home about how we had done a good thing, avoiding the panic that was to come.
Not even two weeks later Covid-19 was here. Our state government responded pretty quickly by closing down many of the schools and “non-essential” businesses, including movie theaters and dine-in restaurants. As the city responded to the news of the pandemic, we were waiting to hear stories of toilet paper shortages and shelves being emptied. Instead, we found that our local grocery store was busier, not because of panic buyers, but because the local “ma and pa” store was deemed as non-essential. People came into the store, bought what they needed as normal and left. No shortages, no panic, just business as usual.
Among “non-essential” organizations were churches, including restrictions on church gatherings. Brandon is part of the WhatsApp group for pastors in our state, which was buzzing with conversation at the time. What should their response be to this? How can they best show God’s love during this time? What does the bible say about meeting and how does that jive with the mandates?
The pastors prayed together and sought wisdom and counsel from each other. They expressed their concerns and aired their disagreements. How could we close our doors? The churches are small and weekly offerings are needed to sustain them. What if people don’t come back? How can we properly minister online? What about our command not to neglect meeting together? How could we not close? What about people’s heath? Are we not responsible to protect our flocks?” They fasted, they prayed, and together they came up with a response that they felt was the best among bad options. Follow the state and local restrictions, even if that means switching to online meetings. This was a hard decision. For many of the smaller churches their challenge was greater as they didn’t have the equipment for online worship. These were added expenses as they headed into a season of unknowns.
For the past year I have watched God bless these churches for their faithfulness and their decisions. Online, these churches have reached groups far beyond the borders of our state. They took advantage of the online platform and started an online prayer meeting that has been running 24 hours a day since the pandemic started. Every hour of everyday someone has been praying in this group. I’ve seen other churches who have been sending out daily videos of encouragement where church members have sent in short devotionals about what God has been teaching them in their weekly studies.
Their ministries have thrived as they have found ways to show up for their communities. The stories I have heard of the church being the church have come through compassion and prayer and counseling for overworked and tired healthcare workers. Some churches, including the one we attend, began providing lunches to people for free who were in need. Others distribute clothes and supplies to immigrants from Haiti and Senegal. I have seen videos that brought me to tears of church members standing outside on the street, singing hymns to the sick or quarantined church members to encourage them and remind them they are not alone. There have been so many creative ways that that church has been the church this year. It has been a joy watching them be the hands and feet of Jesus.
The bible promises us that in this world we will have trouble. In the bible we read of hard times like famine, plagues, droughts, floods, natural disasters, times of despair and crying out. The stories are given to us a reminder that trouble is nothing new. God calls all of us as his people to show love and grace to this world when these trials come. To give of ourselves, what is rightfully ours, and lay it down for the sake of others. This is the message of the cross: Jesus laying down his life for us. I am thankful for my Brazilian brothers and sisters who have been walking the road of trials, keeping their eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.